Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Web's 25th: Basic Human Rights

David Foster, deputy head of CERN's IT department, is an early web contributor.

On this the 25th anniversary of the web, he shares some opinions:

"The web has evolved from simple information sharing to transacting business through socialising and more recently collaborative problem solving in citizen cyber science. In these ways it harnesses the capabilities of humanity to do what we do best; share, learn, collaborate and innovate."

"Basic human rights."David Foster. Source: CERN

In an opinion piece, Foster cautions:

"However, with this capability comes considerable responsibility. Basic human rights – including the right to freedom of expression and the protection of privacy – all need to be balanced and preserved in order that this incredible resource can be a safe and exciting place for creativity for people of all ages and interests."

Who is he addressing?

"This responsibility rests with all of us – whether politicians, lawmakers, scientists or citizens – to ensure that the incredible progress we have made in the last 25 years, starting with the work of a few, and now capturing the innovations of many, can continue in an open, trusted, safe, free and fair way."